Portable pickling machine



April 10, 1951 R. C- HOPKINS PORTABLE PICKLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1949 INVENTOR. Robert Clio 2h ins BY W y fljz ATTORNEYS April 10, 1951 c, HOPKlNs 2,548,793

PORTABLE PICKLING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ATTOREYS Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The invention relates to pickling machines, and more particularly to a portable pickling machine for pickling small stampings, castings, forgings and other articles which require cleaning with a sulphuric or other acid solution.

Under present practice several handlings are required, in the pickling or cleaning of such articles, between the press or other machine in which the articles are produced and the galvanizing pot or other station to which the pickled and washed articles are delivered, requiring additional time, labor and expense in the rehandling of the articles between operations.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a portable pickling machine which will eliminate this unnecessary handling of such articles, thus decreasing the cost of production. This machine comprises a bail or lifting beam within which is journalled a bucket for containing the articles to be pickled, the bail having integral supports extending below the bucket for contact with a floor or other bottom of a pickling or washing tank, or other horizontal support, with means for holding thebucket against rotation during transportation and means for rotating the bucket in the picklingand'washing tanks.

With this construction the portable pickling machine may be placed at a press, or other machine of last operation upon which the articles are produced, and with the bucket locked against rotation and the cover thereof open, it may be filled with the articles as they are discharged from the press or the like, after which the cover may be closed and locked and the portable pickling machine transported by a crane, engaging the bail, the machine being deposited upon the bottom of a pickling tank and the bucket rotated to tumble the articles within the pickling solution, after which the machine may be lifted by a crane and deposited in a washing tank where the rotation is repeated.

After the washing of the pickled articles, the

machine may be transported by a crane to a galvanizing pot, or other station, where the bucket may be dumped, depositing the pickled and washed articles without requiring handling throughout the entire series of operations. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a portable pickling: machine comprising a perforate bucket journalled in a combined bail o1- lifting beam and support frame adapted to support the bucket above a horizontal supporting surface in position that it may be rotated.

Another object is to provide such a portable pickling machine having means for locking the bucket against rotation.

A further object is to provide a pickling machine of this character having means for rotating the bucket within a pickling tank or the like.

A still further object is to provide means for producing intermittent rotation so as to produce a series of impulses or intervals between stopping and starting of the rotation so as to increase the agitation of the articles as they are tumbled within the bucket.

Another object is to provide a rotary bucket of rectangular or cubic section in order to produce the greatest displacement of the articles as they are tumbled, causing them to rub over and against each other, removing the scale, dust and the like by the simple mechanical action.

A further object is to provide a rotary picklingmachine of the character referred to in which the bucket is provided with hinged covers having novel means for normally locking them. in

. closed position.

A still further object is to provide such a pickling machine in which the articles within the bucket will have a one hundred per cent contact with the acid solution during the'pickling operation.

Still another object is to provide a portable pickling machineof this character in which an intermittent, rotary motion maybe imparted to, the bucket by either manual or mechanical means.

The above and other objects, apparent from the drawings and following description, may be attained, the above described difiiculties overcome and the advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction, arrangement, combinations, sub-combinations and parts which comprise the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principle, being set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a portable pickling machine embodying the invention, parts being broken away for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of the improved portable pickling machine with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 a fragmentary, detaiLsectional view of the means forlocking the hinged covers of the bucket in closed position;

Fig. 4a section on the line 4--4, Fig. 3.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals refer to J similar parts throughout, the improved portable pickling machine includes a combined bail or lifting beam and supporting frame comprising the two similar A-frames l0 and I! each havinga journal bearing 12 at its apex and a, vertical extension l3 above the A-frame. v The lower portions of the legs i l of the A- frames are preferably connected to ether by cross members in the fo'rmof channel bars l5, riveted to, the legs of the A-frames as at .16.

A cross head I1 is connected to the upper ends of the upright extensions l3 of the frames as by bolts l8 located through the boss H! at opposite. ends of the cross head and through the inturned flanges 20 at the upper ends of the extensions I3, this cross head together with the extensions l3 forming a bail or lifting bean'n An eye 2| is formed at the center of the cross head ll for engagtment by the usual hook or other attaching means upon a crane. whereby the machine may be lifted bodily and transported from place to place as desired.

A bucket, indicated generally at 22, is pro.- vided for containing the small articles to be pickled and is preferably of rectangular shape, being. substantially in the form of a hollow cube as shown. in the drawings.

Trunnions 23 are provided on, opposite sides of the bucket, at the center thereof and are journalled within the bearings l2 of the frame members- The bucket: is off such size that it may be rotatedupon these trunnions when the A.-frames Ill rest upon the bottom of a tank, or other horizontal support.

The bottom wall 24' ofthe bucket isperforated, as. indicated at 25., and similar perforations 26 are preferably provided in all of the. side walls of the bucket, covering about the lower one.- third thereof.

Covers 21' are hinged upon the top of the bucket, as. at. 2.8,. and. arev adapted to be. locked in closed. position during.v operation of. the machine byany suitable means such for instance as. shown in Figs. 3 and, 4.

For this purpose projections or lugs 29 may be formed upon the opposed. edge portions. of the covers, adjacent. to each side thereof and the adjacent edge. portions of the covers may be. notched as. indicated at. 31,. A T-head bolt 3| is rotatably connected to each corresponding side. wall 32. of the bucket and extended through the. notches 3B. in the. covers.

This. bolt. is. rotatably mounted between two spaced pairs of. ears 33,. formed or. mounted upon the adjacent side wall 32 of the bucket, bolts 34. being, located through the. outer portions: of. these ears. to retain the T-head bolt therein, and. shoulders. 35 are. formed upon. the lower end andv upon an intermediate. portion of the. T-head bolt. 3.]- for engaging. the lower sides oi the ears, as shown in- Fig. 3..

With the cover closed, the. IT-head. bolt. 3i is turned so that the. T-head 36. thereof engages over. both of the lugs 29,. and it will be seen that the. cover will be. held. locked in. closed. position. To unlock. the coversso. that-theymay be opened to place articles within the bucket or remove them. therefrom, the T-headbolt. is turned at right. angles. so that the. T-head- 3G thereor will be received in the notches 30. ofv the covers as they are opened For the. purpose of rotating the bucket upon the stand, a ratchet. wheel 31 is. fixed upon: one of the trunnions. 23 of the bucket and may be further attached to the adjacent side wall. of the bucket as by pins 38. A. lever 39- may' be provided for manualhr rotating thev bucket, this leverbeing. fulcrumed at its: lower end by means ofithe. shaft 40-. journalled inv an ear 4L upon the adjacent upright extension 130i. the supporting frame.

Upon. the. inner end of the shaft. 411 is fixed a. rocker. arm 42., having apawl- 43 pivoted at its lower end as. indicated at 44', and a pawl 45 pivoted at its upper end as indicated at 1?;

With this construction the ratchet wheel 31, and the bucket to which it is attached, may be rotated in the direction of the arrow shown on Fig. 2. with each movement ofthe lever 39' in either direction:

This provides an intermittent rotation of the bucket by a series of impulses, as there is an interval between stopping and starting of each rotation which will have the effect of increased agitation among the parts within the bucket, and since the bucket is of rectangular shape a hammering" efii'ectis produced which continu-- ously dislocates the position of each article within the bucket from.- the outside toward the center of rotation, producing a constant displacement of the articles which rub overand against each other, removing the scale, dust, etc; by the simple mechanical action.

Although two pawls are shown for engagement with the ratchet wheel, it should be understood that either of' these pawls may be eliminated so that the bucket will only be rotated duringthe movement of; the lever 39 in one direction and will come to a stop during the movement of the lever in the opposite direction.

If it is desired to rotate. the bucket mechanically rather than manually, any suitable motive means may be provided for operative connection tothe lever 39'. For this. purpose in Fig. l a. fluid cylinder 4'1 is shown supported as at 48 upon. an. ear 49 formed upon. thev upper portion of the adjacent upright extension I3 of the frame.

The piston rod. 50 of; this cylinder is shown as pivotally connected at. 5|. to one end of. a link 52,.the other end. of which is pivotally connected as at. 53 to. the. lever 39.. With this construction, as the piston rod. 5a is moved. downward out of the cylinder, the upper ends. of. the lever 3E- and rocker 41 will. be. swung to. the. right. as viewed inliig. 2,. the pawl 45 engaging the teeth of. the ratchet. wheel 31. and rotating itin a clockwise direction, while thepawl 4.3 rides back.- ward. overthe teeth of the ratchet wheel.v

Then as the. piston rod 50 moves upward, the lever 33 and rocker arm 42' will be swung in. the opposite direction, the pawl 43 engaging the teeth of. the. ratchet. wheel. and again rotating it in clockwise direction, while the pawl 45-. will ride backward over the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

For. the purpose of holding the bucket, against rotation during the time that itis being. loaded or transported, any suitable latching device may be provided. For this purpose. a latch- 54 is shown in Fig. 1, pivoted upon the'adjacentextension l3. of the frame, as at 55, and: adapted to. engage in a. notched lug 56. upon the adjacent side. wall of the bucket. A depending angular handle. 5?! may be formed upon the latch 54 for manually operating the same;

In the. operation of the improved pickling machine, the bucket may be locked against rotation by the latch 54- and may be transported by acrane to a position adjacent to a press or other machine of last operation in which the articles. to be. pickled are made. The T-head bolts 35 are operated to unlock the covers so that they may be; opened and the bucket may beso positioned that the articles may be discharged by gravity from the press or other machine directly into the bucket.

When a sufiicient. load has been placed within the bucket the covers are closedand the T-bolts 3.1 operatedto lock them in closed position and the pickling machine is transported by a crane and lowered into a pickling tank the legs 84 of the A-frames resting upon the bottom of the tank so that the entire load of articles Within the bucket are submerged below the level of the pickling solution.

The latch 53 is then unlocked and the bucket is intermittently rotated by the mechanism above described, tumbling the articles in the bucket against each other, within the pickling solution, until the pickling operation has been completed.

The pickling machine may then be transported by a crane to a washing tank and lowered therein and the bucket again rotated until the pickled articles therein are thoroughly washed, after which the pickling machine may be transported by a crane to a galvanizing pot or other station, where the covers of the bucket may be opened and it may be tilted to dump the articles so that it is not necessary to handle any of the articles during the entire series of opera tions.

It should be understood that all of the parts of the improved portable pickling machine should be made of suitable acid resisting metal so that the machine may be entirely submerged within the pickling solution without serious damage thereto.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and described one embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described, the invention residing in the provision of a portable pickling machine having a rectangular, rotatable, perforate bucket for containing the articles to be pickled and having the combined supporting frame and bail or lifting beam whereby it may be supported upon the bottom of a tank and may be easily transported from one station to another.

I claim:

1. A portable pickling machine comprising a combined supporting frame and bail, a rectangular bucket journalled in the frame in such position that when the frame rests upon a horizontal surface the bucket may be freely rotated in the frame above said horizontal surface, a ratchet wheel fixed to the bucket, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame, and a pawl upon the 6 lever engaging the ratchet wheel for rotating the bucket.

2. A portable pickling machine comprising a combined supporting frame and bail, a rectangular bucket journalled in the fram in such position that when the frame rests upon a horizontal surface the bucket may be freely rotated in the frame above said horizontal surface, a ratchet wheel fixed to the bucket, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame, and pawls upon the lever above and below the fulcrum thereof engaging the ratchet wheel for rotating the bucket.

3. A portable pickling machine comprising a combined supporting frame and bail, a bucket journalled in the frame in such position that when the frame rests upon a horizontal surface the bucket may be freely rotated in the frame above said horizontal surface, a ratchet wheel fixed to the bucket, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame, a pawl upon the lever engaging the ratchet wheel, a prime mover upon the frame and means connecting the prime mover to the lever for rotating th bucket.

4. A portable pickling machine comprising a combined supporting frame and bail, a bucket journalled in the frame in such position that when the frame rests upon a horizontal surface the bucket may be freely rotated in the frame above said horizontal surface, a ratchet wheel fixed to the bucket, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame, a pawl upon the lever engaging the ratchet wheel,'a fluid cylinder upon the frame,

a piston rod in the cylinder and means connecting the piston rod to the lever for rotating the bucket.

ROBERT C. HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,099,121 Kivley Nov. 16, 1937 2,161,125 Bigelow June 6, 1939 2,498,128 Lang Feb. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,875 Norway May 18, 1915 403,969 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1933 

